Rating: 4.5 Stars (out of 5)
A dense album, Phideaux’s Number Seven
(not-so-coincidentally, the band’s seventh release) reveals
itself over repeated listens. A conceptual piece, Number
Seven follows what I consider to be Phideaux’s breakout
album, Doomsday Afternoon, which is also a concept
album and one that this author considered the best release of
2007. So, there would seem to be some pressure on the band to
reach the lofty bar set by Doomsday. Though the bar was
indeed set high, Phideaux seems not to have succumbed to the
pressure, as Number Seven delivers big time. It is a
shame such a majestic concept album could not feature a more
creative title, particularly from such a creative bunch, and
their ringleader in particular, but the mundane title belies the
music contained within. But this is a minor quibble.
This album, according to the liner notes, tells the wonderfully
cryptic tale of "our character, the dormouse." This seems to
represent the "sheep" of today’s society, blindly following
whatever doctrine to which they happen to adhere. I could be
wrong, but that’s what it says to me. Complicating the narrative
are numerous references to the battle between crayfish and
shrew, which appears (at least lyrically) to be tilted in favor
of the shrew. Earth is winning its eternal battle against the
sea, it would seem.
The album is bookended with "Dormouse – A Theme" and
"Dormouse – An End," which are short pieces reminiscent of
Pink Floyd’s "Pigs on the Wing" songs on either end of their
Animals album. The opera is divided neatly into three acts
(One: Dormouse Ensnared; Two: Dormouse Escapes; Three: Dormouse
Enlightened).
The first of the two dormouse pieces is instrumental and
acoustically sets a bit of an ominous tone for the album. That
ominous tone grows darker with the second track, "Waiting for
the Axe to Fall." "Waiting" introduces some wonderful themes
(particularly on piano / keys) that will be repeated later in
the album. It is one of the standout tracks, for me, with
dark-yet-hopeful (“we might just make it through”) lyrics. The
interplay of vocals between Phideaux Xavier and
Valerie Gracious were a hallmark of the band’s epic
masterpiece, Doomsday Afternoon, and they shine on in
this track as well. "Hive Mind" picks up the pace a bit
and continues the excellent vocal work. One thing I notice in
this track in particular is the quality of Rich Hutchins’
drumming.
Gracious shines in new and exciting ways on "The Claws of a
Crayfish." It seems criminal that this fine talent isn’t a
household name. Her vocal work is a staple of the best Phideaux
has to offer. Ariel Farber’s violin work also lights up
this track and makes it one of my favorites on the disc. Backing
vocals are another ongoing strength of this band, and Farber,
along with twin sisters Molly Ruttan and Linda
Ruttan-Moldawsky spice up the Phideaux gumbo nicely, all
throughout the album. The end of "Claws" revisits some of the
dramatic piano themes introduced in "Waiting for the Axe to
Fall."
"My Sleeping Slave" slows the pace and gives the band an
opportunity to show off their harmonizing chops, to great
effect. It brings the curtain down on Act I (Dormouse Ensnared),
to such a point that one can even envision a curtain literally
coming down in front of the band, were they to ever perform this
album in its entirety.
Act II begins with "Darkness at Noon," which itself
starts out with a simple acoustic guitar arrangement and
Phideaux’s earnest vocals. This track links back to Doomsday
Afternoon lyrically (“I was separated from you” – a lyric
used multiple times in the previous album). I enjoy the lyrics
in this one, as the dormouse determines not to “wait until the
ground is my home” to take action. The upbeat lyrics play nicely
against the somber ambience of the music. This short piece
segues into the keyboard/harmony vocals/acoustic guitar opening
of "Prequiem." A nice electric solo finally peeks
out from behind the dark tones.
"Gift of the Flame" arises from the two short pieces that
introduce Act II. This is another one of the album’s high points
and is one of the more instrumentally satisfying sections. We
get some Floyd-ish saxophone from Johnny Unicorn early
on, followed by interplay between keyboard and Matthew
Kennedy’s bass. I’m not sure if Unicorn or Mark Sherkus
is on the keys here, but it works well. When Gracious’ vocals
kick in, the song takes off nicely and some of the more
interesting lyrics are found in this track. I particularly like
“as day by day the buzzard birds bite bits away.”
"Interview with a Dormouse" starts with a somewhat
industrial sounding keyboard part, then revisits the album’s
opening theme, adding lyrics (“dormouse, dormouse have you any
cheese or did it melt in the thermonuclear breeze?”), before
giving way to "Thermonuclear Cheese," with its
over-the-top harmony vocal beginning, whistling and intricate
keyboard tapestries. It speaks wonderfully about this record
that the short instrumental connecting pieces are every bit as
interesting as the “proper songs.”
"The Search for Terrestrial Life" starts softly with a
voiceover (the Ruttan sisters?) that sounds like it came from an
episode of Nova, and perhaps did. We learn here again (as
in "Claws") that the claws of a crayfish pose little challenge
to a shrew. We get a different female lead vocal here (Farber, I
believe) to alternate with Phideaux’s male lead. Lyrically this
has a sort of “sleeper has awakened” feel to it. Finally, "A
Fistful of Fortitude" finishes Act II with a “la-la” chorus,
a nice bit of keyboard/guitar/bass interplay and a reprise of
the second female lead vocal.
Act III begins with what could be described as the album’s
showpiece, "Love Theme from Number Seven." The song opens
with dramatic piano that would be as at home in Phantom of
the Opera as this particular rock album. The tempo builds as
more instruments come to the fore, blending together nicely into
probably the most “rocking” track on the album. There is some
very good electric guitar here, followed by an interesting chant
behind Farber’s wonderful violin. There are little keyboard
flourishes in this song that work very well and the great
(lyric-free) harmony vocals and, because prog knows no such word
as excess, another tasty electric guitar solo. Gabriel
Moffat’s guitar work doesn’t stick out often enough for me,
but it is magical when it does.
"Love Theme" gives way into Phideaux’s homage to Italian prog,
"Storia Senti." Thankfully, although Phideaux sings in
Italian, a lyrical translation is provided in the liner notes.
More Farber violin provides additional flavor before the song
picks up the tempo with a piano theme overlaid with electric
guitar and finally some more “ba pa pa pa pa” lyric-less vocal
harmonies. Another minor quibble here, but for me the “ba pa pa
pa pa” vocals overstay their welcome, prior to a bit of a
psychedelic musical meld that resolves into
violin-bass-keys-guitar and another, but harsher, lyric-less
vocal.
"Infinite Supply" provides a fantastic final highlight of
the album. Our dormouse is truly enlightened. Phideaux takes the
lead vocal over piano to start the track. The album seems its
most upbeat here in terms of tone and then breaks into a very
short, but gorgeous, guitar bit that seems as if it found its
way here from Steve Howe’s tapes during the Tales for
Topographic Oceans sessions. The vocals/keys resume and
build, followed by a piano/bass/guitar interlude and returning
again to a building vocal crescendo. And is that an Echoes-ish
keyboard ‘ping’ sound I hear in there toward the end? I think
so. The song fades to silence before the return of our dormouse
closing theme, and all too soon the ride is over.
Aside from the music, the disc features some wonderful artwork
with various theaters of battle between the crayfish and the
shrew, thanks to Linda Ruttan-Moldawsky. The band name and album
name are both absent from the beautiful cover artwork. However,
I’m not thrilled with the use of the futuristic font on the back
or side panels. Permit me one last minor quibble, eh?
In the end, though it is difficult for me to find anything bad
to say about this record, I will say this: for me, it does not
quite reach the soaring heights pioneered in Doomsday
Afternoon. That is not to say it is worse (or better, for
that matter) than Doomsday. It is a different animal
indeed, but distinctly Phideaux, all the way. It is a
consistently good release that demands repeat listens and repeat
listens it shall have, at least from this listener.
Track List:
One: Dormouse Ensnared
1. Dormouse – A Theme
2. Waiting for the Axe to Fall
3. Hive Mind
4. The Claws of a Crayfish
5. My Sleeping Slave
Two: Dormouse Escapes
6. Darkness at Noon
7. Prequiem
8. Gift of the Flame
9. Interview With a Dormouse
10. Thermonuclear Cheese
11. The Search for Terrestrial Life
12. A Fistful of Fortitude
Three: Dormouse Enlightened
13. Love Theme From Number Seven
14. Storia Senti
15. Infinite Supply
16. Dormouse – An End
